IMF boss: UK to face even more Brexit disruption in new year December 14, 2021 The UK will face more trade disruption in the new year as new post-Brexit customs checks come into place, International Monetary Fund (IMF) chief Kristalina Georgieva has said. The UK will implement its full range of post-Brexit checks on EU goods coming into Britain from 1 January, after delaying them for a year. The EU [...]
Crypto markets fall again ahead of possible US rates rise December 14, 2021 Bitcoin slipped to a low of $45,000 on Monday, down almost 10 per cent from its weekend highs of more than $50k.
Some rationality called for amidst the drumbeat to restrictions December 14, 2021 Who would have thought that just five years after the Brexit referendum, Wetherspoon boss Tim Martin and the CBI would be back on the same side. Truly, Covid-19 has made for the strangest of bedfellows. Both have railed, reasonably, against the new Plan B restrictions which are well on their way to being passed into [...]
Covid fear-mongering will slash through business confidence December 14, 2021 Businesses need confidence even more than they need good policy. Whispers from government over the need for Plan C and the possibility of a Plan D, before MPs have even voted on Plan B, are just the latest in a long line of public utterances that undermine business confidence – with very real results. Business [...]
Bill’s closes 14 restaurants after pandemic pressure December 13, 2021 Restaurant chain Bill’s has shut 14 loss-making venues in its financial year after the pandemic hammered sales. In accounts filed to Companies House, the firm stated it made a £62m turnover for the 53 weeks to 3 January 2021. This was down on the £127m for the 52 weeks to 29 December 2019. The restaurant [...]
Exclusive: HSBC and Wells Fargo use blockchain to settle FX trades December 13, 2021 Two of the world's largest financial institutions, HSBC and Wells Fargo, are using blockchain technology to settle foreign currency trades.
Brexit: UK-EU talks on Northern Ireland resume this week as UK sets ‘no time limit’ on discussions December 13, 2021 Talks between the UK and the EU on the post-Brexit Northern Ireland Protocol will resume this week, with Number 10 today putting no “set limit” for how long negotiations will drag on. Defacto Brexit secretary Lord David Frost and his EU counterpart Maros Sefcovic will meet twice this week to try and move talks forward, [...]
Bitcoin looks steady after S&P 500 nears record highs December 13, 2021 Despite the uncertainty, Bitcoin did spend much of last week recovering from the previous weekend’s crash and climbed back above the $50,000 mark on Sunday.
French fishermen set to carry out blockade in a bid to spoil Christmas for Brits December 12, 2021 French fisherman are planning to start a blockade in Calais and other ports in moves that could disrupt supply chains and spoil Christmas for millions of Brits. The blockade would be the latest salvo in a long-running row between the UK and France over post-Brexit fishing licences. A spokesperson for a group of French trawler [...]
Fashion brands log legal claims over Visa and Mastercard fees December 12, 2021 Fashion firms are taking legal action over Mastercard and Visa card payment fees More than a dozen brands have filed legal claims over historic charging fees, alleging a breach of competition laws, it was reported by The Telegraph. It comes as Amazon confirmed UK customers will not be able to use Visa credit cards when [...]